The fifth discourse of the Bhagavad Gita finds Arjuna still confused whether action or renunciation of action is better. Krishna explains that both lead to the same place, but that taking selfless action is better as it leads to purity of mind and soul. He reminds Arjuna that selfless actions when done with no expectation of outcomes lead to purity of the mind. With this pure mind, even though active, we do nothing of our own will. Desires, attachments and ego lead to dissatisfaction, to despair. When we let go of desires we are free in our minds to experience true peace and bliss. And we attain that through actions dedicated to the Lord. Full knowledge of the self comes when we know the Lord as there is no duality. Everything we see is one and the same. People, plants, animals – this is all various parts of the Lord.

This discourse gets at the fact that there is no separation between beings and that we truly are all one. When we observe what appears to be solid objects under magnification we can see that there is nothing in our world that is truly manifest. Everything in existence is made from the same thing at an atomic level. This is the same for human beings. Our magnetic field pulls the atoms together to bring about what we see as form. In reality there is nothing solid, nothing ‘real’, nothing separate. We truly are all pieces of the same universal (or God) energy carrying out our various roles. In striving for perfection, for enlightenment, we are striving to get back to the truth of what we are.

Our actions that lead to the betterment of all are actions that bring us in line or in balance with this universal truth. The renunciation of action is more about giving up the rewards as opposed to not acting at all. This does not imply that we give up our income – we need to survive if we are to be of service. But we do our jobs well not just for the reward of a paycheck, but because in some way we are serving the world.

2 Responses to The Yoga of Renunciation of Action

As you say in this excellent commentary, when we act from our highest consciousness we are not acting from ego-will. We become a vessel, a conduit. I think this must be a meaning of the Taoist ” do by not doing.” Thank you for this one.